The Princess and The Peas and Carrots by Harriet Ziefert

About Harriet Ziefert

“About twelve years ago,” says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, “I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books.” Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. “I write books very quickly,” she says, “in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they’re done.” Harriet Ziefert writes about twenty books a year.

I am not sure a lot of people are familiar with Harriet Ziefert.When I first received The Princess and The Peas and Carrots for a book review, the name wasn’t at all familiar to me. It wasn’t until I started reading up on the author, Harriet Ziefert, that it all started coming back to me. In fact, Harriet Ziefert wrote a book that I still remember reading when I was Carli’s age, The Sleepy Dog.

Please tell me, kids of the 80′s and 90s’, that you remember this book? Ask me what it was about and I really cannot remember (other than the obvious) but the cover I remember quite well as a book that I had read often.

Now, I was excited. Would The Princess and the Peas and Carrots be just as memorable?

The Princess and The Peas and Carrots Book Summary

Rosebud is a bit of a perfectionist. Her stuffed animals must be arranged just so, her crayons lined up in a row, and she always has a clean piece of paper waiting in case she makes a mistake. She is so exacting that she earns the nickname Princess Fussy by her family.

After a particularly bad tantrum over her peas and carrots touching on her plate, her dad reads the story “Princess and the Pea” to soothe her to sleep. When she cannot get to sleep, he discovers a marble underneath her mattress, leading them to believe that she might be a genuine princess after all.

The Princess and The Peas and Carrots Book Review

The first thing that you should know is the fact that the illustrations are absolutely wonderful and are done by illustrator Travis Foster. Because a picture book is not complete with out the pictures, Travis Foster did a wonderful job of helping the entire book come together with his colorful, fun, and girly illustrations. His purposeful use of purples, pinks, and light greens is sure to let any girly girl in your family say, “Hey, this book was made for me!”

Right now I would like nothing more than to share a couple example images in the book, however because the book is relatively new (published in November of 2012), it doesn’t appear that there are examples to share. I even checked Travis Foster’s portfolio and not a single picture was even listed. (It’s a shame because they are adorable.)

The Princess and the Peas and Carrots is about a little girl named Rosebud. I am sure we all know or have a little girl just like her. She insists on things to be a certain way; her blanket has to be just right and the stuffed animals have to be in just the right order. God forbid the food on her plate touches, or she gets sand in her bathing suit.

I laughed at all the little things that bothered Rosebud and thought, “Oh that is so Carli (or Katie!)”. Harriest Zierfert takes a relatable concept and intertwines, “The Princess and the Pea” into a modern day tale.

What sticks out about The Princess The Peas and Carrots is the fold out book included within the book as part of the story. I love when picture books add a little “something” to create interaction, even if it is just folding and unfolding. (Remember how fun it was to read The Jolly Postman as a kid?)

I think The Princess and the Peas and Carrots is also a nice relatable book for those affected by sensory disorders. It may be a positive spin on helping a child to cope with sensory overload issues that they face every day. “You must be a Princess or a Prince!” I am sure it would make all children feel a little good about themselves.

Rosebud is not just a princess in her house, you could call her the queen of fussiness. She is picky about everything and throws fits all the time. When she settles down and straightens things up, her dad reads her the story of the Princess and the Pea (included within the story in foldout pages), she goes to bed to find perhaps she can relate to that story.

“Most of the time, Rosebud is Good Princess Rosebud, but she can become Princess Fussy. This new rendition of The Princess and the Pea features a little girl who needs certain things to be ‘just so.'”–